BEREA, Ohio -- Browns Hall of Famer Jim Brown kicked off training camp Thursday by pulling Trent Richardson up in front of a team meeting and telling him he no longer thinks of him as an ordinary back, which is what he called him on draft day last year.

Brown had been asked by coach Rob Chudzinski to provide the opening address of camp, and he used the opportunity to let the whole team know just how special Richardson is and how great he can be. For Richardson, who sat out minicamp and some organized team activities with a strained right shin, there couldn't have been a better opening bell to the 2013 season.

"For what my mind is set to (this season), it's big hearing it from him,'' Richardson said after the first practice. "With Jim Brown present, it’s an honor. It makes me work that much harder for him to just be out there. At the same time, I'm not going to let my head get big. There's still a lot that I've got to prove, first to the fans, then my teammates and the NFL world.''

Chudzinski called for a handoff to Richardson on the first snap of team drills, to the roar of the crowd. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner said during the week that "it all starts with Richardson,'' and that first handoff was symbolic. Richardson darted through the defense -- albeit with no pads or contact until Saturday -- as if homefield advantage were on the line.

"I completely trust it,'' Richardson said of the shin. "I did a lot of rehab on it and I did a lot of stuff in the off-season to build my muscle back up. Right now I’m feeling pretty good. When it comes down to it, you’re going to see my game elevate. ... I’m just going up this hill we’re climbing on. I’m going to keep striving to win every time.”

As the practice wore on, Richardson caught the ball out of the backfield well and turned upfield with speed and agility. He was far removed from spring rumors that he might miss the start of camp with concerns of a stress fracture.

View full sizeTrent Richardson impressed his teammates with a crisp performance in Thursday's opening of fall training camp -- giving a stiff arm to linebacker Craig Robertson on this play.John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

"I don’t hold back at all,'' he said. "I play every down like I can get better and every down like it’s a new down and my last down. To me, I’m working so I can be in the game and working as if I’m in a game situation. I don’t hold back on nothing.''

Richardson spent the past month training in Florida with high school track and football coach Derrick Boyd. He looked light on his feet Thursday, seemingly quicker than last season, during which he endured arthroscopic knee surgery and broken ribs.

"I feel way quicker, especially without all that extra padding I had around my ribs,'' he said. "I lost weight. I'm 225. I probably came into camp 230 last year, probably played at 233 not being able to run fully other than Friday before the game due to injury. It’s a blessing to be in the shape that I am right now."

During a special teams period, Richardson walked over to the sidelines and chatted with team owner Jimmy Haslam. Then, he spent a few minutes with his new BFF Brown, now a special advisor to the team.

"I asked (Brown), was he happy to be back? And he was like, 'man, I couldn’t wait,'" said Richardson. "He was telling me he's going to be on me, that we're gonna have our one-on-ones, we’re gonna have our talks but our minds have to be put together.

"I said 'our minds are already put together, you don’t have to worry about that.' I will be getting advice from him because he is the best of all time and there’s no question about it.''

Richardson's opening-day sharpness wasn't lost on his teammates.

"He looked great,'' said quarterback Brandon Weeden. "For sitting all of that time, he didn't have any missed assignments, he was playing extremely fast, I thought he looked great. Trent's a big asset, not only for our offense but for this entire football team and it's nice to have him back out there."

Richardson was cheered throughout the practice and mobbed afterwards when he walked over to greet some fans with a wide grin.

"It was a great day,'' he said. "It was great to be back out with my teammates. It's been a while since I've been out there as a whole with them. To be back in that huddle man, to be starting, and to be that guy, to have everybody on my back and telling me, 'let's go, let's get it' and to be in the presence of the fans who came out today, the presence of y'all man, it's a great feeling.''

Richardson acknowledged that he never really caught up after arthroscopic surgery in training camp last year. He missed the preseason schedule, finishing the year with 950 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“Soon as I did catch up, I broke my ribs," he said. "When I did that, I was just trying to make sure I could get back to where I could break tackles or get the first down or get in the red zone and score touchdowns.

"I think toward the end of the season my body was telling me like, ‘Mmm, don’t do too much,’ but my head was telling me I have to keep fighting, not only for me for my teammates, fans and everybody."

Richardson plans to experience a preseason game for the first time.

"It’s very important,'' he said. "It’s a blessing to be able to play this game. I play a game that a lot of people wish they could play. ... For me to be out in preseason and get the game speed down like I want to and for the line to get the game speed down with me is a big plus.”

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.